FAQ

Fertilization programs begin in-sync with seasonal growing conditions. This is commonly early/mid April.

We determine the timing of our first application with help from the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation so that crabgrass prevention is applied at just the right time.

We typically begin lawn mowing service the third week of April. Fertilizer applications are scheduled in harmony with lawn mowing days, so that neither service interrupts the other.

The BIG companies will try to sell you up to 9 applications. Who needs 9! We are confident that we can provide you a beautiful lawn with our 7-application program. We find that this frequency is very effective at controlling weeds that grow at every stage of spring and summer; yes, they germinate all season long. With less than 7 applications, you may experience weed infestations that persist.

Perhaps your lawn is lush and weed-free at the moment? That is fantastic news, but that's not by chance: either the sod farm (if your lawn is new), or the previous homeowner (if you just moved in), or you (good work!) has put in great effort to achieve that. If that same effort is not continued, your lawn will slowly degrade as it consumes soil nutrients faster than they are replenished and weed slowly move in as they are allowed to germinate without any control.

With Good Guys you can rest easy knowing that your lawn is getting what it needs to stay healthy, vibrant and the best on the block!

To help you understand why we recommend 7 applications, some technical understanding is essential. Cool-season turf grasses such as those found in Michigan need between 5-7 pounds of total Nitrogen (per 1,000 sq ft) each season to perform at their best. Since the maximum application rate is 1 pound per application, that equates to 5-7 applications per season. So, who needs 5 pounds and who needs 7? Five pounds of N is only suggested for non-irrigated lawns. Non-irrigated lawns grow slower and draw less nutrients from the soil, therefore requiring the lesser of the recommended range. On the other hand, irrigated lawns grow faster, demand more nutrients and deplete the soil more quickly. This calls for the the higher of the recommended range.

Any less than 3 pounds of nitrogen per season, and our cool-season turf grasses will show color inconsistency and decline in density, allowing weeds to pop-up more readily. So, let's not forget about weed control! Getting the proper nutrients in your lawn is paramount, but equal in importance is keeping out the pests like invasive weeds and turf-feeding insects.

Weeds can grow faster than grass and they consume the same Nitrogen that we apply to your lawn. Because weeds are routinely germinating and spreading their seed by wind, birds, etc, your weed-control should be just as routine as your fertilizer. Lawns with fewer applications will inherently have more weeds than lawns that get more applications.

In summary, they say that something is always better than nothing, and we agree! If you desire less applications than what is recommended, that will still be better than no applications at all. When you follow our 7-application program, you will find yourself with a weed-free, vibrant and healthy lawn.

We'll be happy to accommodate your request for fewer applications with a 6-app or 5-app program. We hope you'll understand that our satisfaction guarantee does not apply to these programs. If another firm is offering you a weed-free, vibrant lawn with few applications, this is a red flag. The nature of germination cycles means that lawns require frequent and routine attention to remain weed-free, which our 7-app program offers. We have been observing this for the many years that we have been in business. With fewer applications, your lawn will develop more weeds than your neighbor's. Give our full program a try, and you'll find that your lawn becomes the best on the block.

After your first application, you'll notice some changes right away. Weeds will begin to curl and die within a few days of your first visit. After several waterings, the nutrients that we apply will start to be absorbed by your lawn's root system. Please know that infectious issues and/or soil fortification can require multiple applications and/or continuing treatment to achieve and maintain desired results.

Lawn treatments are a cumulative process, which means that with each treatment, you are working nutrients into the soil and eradicating generational weed infestations. If your lawn hasn't been fertilized in awhile, it will require some time and possibly some seeding, to fill in the thinning areas which have been taken over by weeds. This may sound daunting, but you can rest assured that you are in good hands with Good Guys.

We use both liquid weed control and granular fertilizer in the same application. 100% of our fertilizer is granular, which is more effective than liquid because we can apply a mix of fast and slow release fertilizers. Having a mix of both means that your lawn is fed continuously. Companies that only use liquid may try to convince you to receive more applications. The reason is fast acting liquid fertilizers do not contain the same slow-release abilities as coated granular fertilizers. Our weed control treatments are liquid, which is the most effective way to kill weeds that are present in your lawn at the time of application.

We offer premium fertilizer products made by Lesco. Lesco turf products are known for their quality, performance and reliability (fun fact: they're also used on many golf courses and other high-value turfgrass). The products we use are a professional grade not available in retail stores. Lesco offers a broad range of products, which allows us the flexibility to select the right product for your lawn in light of seasonal growing conditions. We are confident that the products we offer will contribute to the health of your lawn while maintaining a safe environment for your family and pets.

A pesticide is a product that targets and controls a pest, such as: weeds, insects or fungi. These types of pesticides are respectively defined as herbicide, insecticide, and fungicide. These are just a few examples of pesticides. Pesticides are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as either general-use (think: Hardware Store) or restricted use (think: Licensed Professional). The products we used are approved by the EPA for safe use when applied in accordance with the label directions.

The weed control products that we offer are certified with the EPA for use on your lawn. These weed control products are selective to the certain weeds that your lawn is infested with, and will not harm your turfgrass. As part of our Integrated Pest Management Initiative, we will not treat pests (weeds) that are not present on your lawn.

Our products are EPA certified for safe use on your lawn. The EPA regulates the use of fertilizer and pesticides and has established that they must be applied in accordance with the label instructions. Used by our licensed applicators, in strict compliance with labeled instructions, our products do not represent any significant risk to your family or pets. After we perform an application on your lawn, we will place a small sign to inform you that an application has occurred and to ask you to stay off the lawn until it dries (usually 1-3 hours depending on humidity). As a courtesy to your family, we will never treat your lawn on weekends unless we provide advance notice to you.

All of our products are EPA certified for use on your lawn. The products that we use can be found in the hands of all of our competitors. Some of our competitors use terms like Natural and Nature in their business names, which can be a misnomer. The reality is that all professional fertilizer companies use the same base chemicals.

The difference in their product offerings are composition ratios, level of quality, percentage of slow-release fertilizer (if any), their application method and safety practices. One way that we certainly are different from our competitors is that as a safety measure and courtesy to your family, who may be enjoying time outside, we do not apply on windy days, weekends, or evenings.

Yes! We offer Soil Optimizer which enhances the soil's ability to retain nutrients for your lawn. It provides all the benefits (and more) of compost top-dressing in a routinely scheduled application.

Be cautious with companies which offer "natural" fertilizer options. The only difference between the fertilizer that we apply (synthetic) and the fertilizer that they apply (organic), is how it is derived. Both synthetic and organic fertilizers are composed of the same chemical compound: Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus. Our products (synthetic) can be safer because they are manufactured to strict ratios, from consistent sources, and can be coated for slow-release applications. On the other hand, organic fertilizers, which are composed of the same chemicals, can be derived from inconsistent sources such as fish meal, manure, bat guano, earthworm castings, etc. The point is not that one is necessarily better than the other; the point is that organic fertilizer can be unfairly represented as something safe when they are chemically the same thing, only derived from different sources.

Our program is proven to work; however, sometimes underlying conditions can hinder the effectiveness of our program.

For example, a lawn which is high in sand and low in organic matter will not be able to retain nutrients and can more quickly deteriorate under adverse conditions (heat, drought, infection).

If your lawn is not responding well to our program, we suggest an assessment of your lawn's underlying conditions (soil quality, organic matter content, pH level, nutrient composition and more). This entire process is included in our Lawn Assessment service. There is a cost involved, which most find worthwhile as part of investing in the health of one's lawn and landscape. Our Lawn Assessment service will help guide the next steps to revive your lawn to full health.

Our liquid weed controls are the most effective available. Weeds begin to curl and disappear in 2-3 days, but it may take up to two weeks before they are completely gone. Unusually hot weather, a heavy rain after your treatment, or mowing immediately after treatment can reduce control. The good news is that as a Good Guys customer, you can simply call us and we will retreat any trouble areas at no extra cost to you! If the issue persists, please let us know and we will be glad to look into additional steps that can be taken to help get your lawn in top shape.

This is not recommended unless absolutely necessary. For maximum effectiveness your liquid weed control must completely dry before mowing. We find it is beneficial to wait until the next day before mowing. The good news is that as a Good Guys customer, we schedule our fertilizer applications in harmony with lawn mowing days, so that neither service interrupts the other.

Grub-Defense is a preventive treatment to help prevent the spread of grubs on your lawn. Grubs typically hatch mid-summer and feed on the roots of your lawn. Grubs are a problem which remain out of sight until your lawn starts to die off in patches where they have been feeding. Protect your investment and add Grub-Defense today!

Lawn-Defense is a preventive treatment for surface-feeding insects. This group of bugs exists at or above the soil line, where they feed on grass blades. Insect damage can strain your lawn and decrease its resilience to systemic diseases. This makes controlling these insects necessary to keep your lawn in tip-top shape. Surface feeding insects increase in population and activity as temperatures grow warmer. This is a one-time application, typically performed in May-June, which targets insects during early activity. Protect your lawn by adding this treatment today.

Common surface feeding insects include billbugs, chinch bugs, cut worms, web worms and the list goes on. This treatment is a broad spectrum product that will target nearly all insect activity at the soil level, without harming productive insects such as bees, butterflies, etc.

This service helps keep bugs out of your home by defending their most common place of entrance: your home's foundation. Foundations are notorious for having tiny cracks that bugs can slip into, but more often overlooked is the sill-plate. The sill-plate is the area where the home sits upon the concrete foundation. This wooden plate can warp over time, creating small crevices where bugs can waltz straight into your home. This warping is a common occurrence and we highly recommend that you have a licensed builder inspect your sill-plate and provide proper sealing if there are leaks. Meanwhile, Home-Defense will help keep bugs away from your foundation and out of your home! This program is applied 5 times per season for maximum effectiveness. The price you were given includes all 5 applications! Of course, we can only offer this low price in conjunction with your fertilizer program.

Home-Defense Perimeter Insect Control is a preventative application that targets all common insects that may try to find their way into your home from ground level. It does not target flying insects that may try to enter your home from elevated areas. Home-Defense applications are performed between May and September, when insects are most active.

1. Early Spring: Apply a pre-emergent herbicide for crabgrass control and a broadleaf herbicide for weed control. Application includes 1.5 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet, pre-emergent herbicide and broadleaf herbicide
2. Spring: Second application of a pre-emergent herbicide for crabgrass control. An iron supplement with micronutrients will be added to improve summer hardiness. Application includes 1.0 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet, (Fe) iron, (Mn) manganese, pre-emergent herbicide and broadleaf herbicide.
3. Early Summer: Apply our summer-formulated fertilizer with micronutrients and organic material. Weed control is applied as needed. Application includes 1.0 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet and broadleaf herbicide.
4. Mid Summer: Apply our summer-formulated fertilizer with micronutrients and organic material. Weed control is applied as needed. Application includes 1.0 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet and broadleaf herbicide.
5. Late Summer: Apply a time-released balanced fertilizer and broadleaf herbicide spot treatment as needed. Application includes 0.75 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet and broadleaf herbicide.
6. Fall: Apply a time-released balanced fertilizer and broadleaf herbicide spot treatment as needed. Application includes 0.75 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet and broadleaf herbicide.
7. Late Fall: Apply a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer to promote a strong root system throughout the winter and ensure early spring green-up, and broadleaf herbicide spot treatment as needed. Application includes 0.75 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet and broadleaf herbicide.

The fertilizers we apply are a unique blend of nutrients that our cool-season turfgrasses readily consume each day of the growing season. This means that with each application we are refueling the "gas-tank" as it is continually being depleted by your lawn. A soil test is only necessary if your lawn exhibits abnormal symptoms, such as large dead spots, discoloration, lethargy, etc. A soil test will determine if additional remediation is necessary to remedy a pH imbalance, unusual nutrient-deficiency or infestation. These instances are less common and are handled on a case-by-case basis. We charge a modest fee to perform a soil test due to the laboratory cost and analysis involved.

Our fertilizer applications contain herbicides to kill the weeds in your lawn. If you are worried about the safety of herbicides - we understand. Herbicides can be safely used when you (and pets!) stay off the lawn until the spray-solution dries; this can take anywhere from 30-90 minutes but can vary based on humidity. However, we understand that you may not be comfortable with herbicides and for that reason we do offer applications that are fertilizer only. Fert-only applications are priced the same, and there is no guarantee for weed-control. We are delighted to accommodate your needs in this area.

Unfortunately, we do not offer weed control only. Our lawn program includes weed control and fertilizer because they both play an important part in ridding your lawn of weeds. The weed control kills off existing weeds, while the fertilize helps thicken the lawn to naturally limit reproduction of weeds.

There are other technical, economical, and practical reasons why our lawn program includes both and weed control and fertilizer. Our passion is to provide our clients with beautiful, well-maintained lawns. If your lawn needs an upgrade, come discover what makes us Good Guys!

There's certainly no need to panic. Your lawn application includes both granular and liquid products. The granular product will benefit from getting watered in by a good rain. The liquid product contains an additive to help it "stick" to your lawn. Once the liquid is dry, it does not easily wash off. It generally takes less than 30 minutes to dry, but can vary with humidity. Rain isn't a good thing if it starts while we are on your lawn, but if it starts 30 minutes after our visit, then rain is a great thing!

The best time to water is right before sunrise. This allows the water time to penetrate the lawn before the heat of the sun hits it. If you don't have a rain sensor, we highly recommend adding this to your system so that you're not watering your lawn during periods of heavy rain. Heavy rain can suffocate your lawn, plus you may be paying for water which you don't need to.

Weed Free Guarantee: Our 7-app program includes this special guarantee. Spot a weed? Contact us and we will be happy to schedule a return visit at no cost to you. It's like having a butler for your lawn!

Some restrictions apply. See our terms of service for full details.

In recent years the ideology behind dethatching has shifted to a more conservative approach. Thatch in itself is a completely normal occurrence. In fact, all healthy lawns have thatch. A problem only exists if the thatch layer gets so thick that water and air have trouble getting to the root system. The thatch layer can thicken when there is an inadequate mowing frequency, which can be exacerbated by over-watering and over-fertilization.

The overwhelming majority of lawns do not need dethatching. Instead, aeration has moved to the front of the pack as the most beneficial lawn service outside of regular care (mowing, fertilizing, watering). The process of aeration punches holes in the lawn's thatch layer and soil substrate, allowing for water and nutrients to sink right down to the root system. Because aeration targets both the thatch layer and soil compaction, it is recommended to perform at least once per year in the spring or fall. For more information on aeration, click here to see our FAQ on aeration.

Some lawns have aggressive weeds which our fertilizer and weed control program may not sufficiently treat. This is especially common when a lawn has gone a significant period of time without any weed treatments. In such cases a specialty application may be required. A specialty application is a product which will specifically target the problematic weed. Applications of this nature are most effective when they are applied routinely to have a cumulative effect: like a "1-2 punch."

A specialty application will start to work right away and you should notice leaf curl within 7 days. However, without proper follow-up treatments, the stored energy in the weed's root system is likely to bounce back. For this reason, we perform on-going treatments with your routine fertilizer program until the weed is completely eradicated or a desired level of control has been reached.

My Lawn is Growing QUICKLY

A quick growing lawn is generally a good thing - it means your lawn is receiving adequate water and nutrients. If your lawn looks tall again a few days after our visit, this is usually a sign of heavy growing conditions and not something we have much control over. It's easy to think that mowing shorter would be a solution for this but unfortunately, it's not that simple. Mowing short can harm your lawn in the long term by creating dense grass clippings that can smother the lawn. Yikes! 

Thankfully, this type of heavy growth is temporary and can last for a few weeks in the spring and fall. During these periods, our teams are trained to carefully select a mowing height at each visit. However, you may still see excess grass clippings as we contend with the rapid growing conditions. While this is unavoidable, we ensure that clippings are not left in dense piles that could harm your lawn. The great news is that clippings are composed of mostly water and, once they dry out, are mulched into your lawn at following visits. This even acts as natural fertilizer. Did you know that lawns which have the clippings bagged and removed are starved of vital nutrients, even with a routine fertilizer program in place?  Recycling your clippings into the soil is the best practice for the long-term health of your lawn.

What if my lawn grows quickly all season long?  We jokingly refer to these lawns as "jungles," but we realize it may not be a laughing matter. These lawns seem to grow full throttle all season long, presenting issues of varying kinds. Lawns like this require an individual approach to ensure that our service can align with the needs of the lawn and the budget of the client. Please contact us if you think you have a jungle on your hands and we'll help find a solution. 

My Lawn is Growing SLOWLY

Lawns will naturally slow down during warmer or drier periods of the growing season. This is completely normal and your lawn is inherently designed to bounce back as soon as optimal growing conditions return. During these periods, you may see slower growth and yellowing of your lawn which means that your lawn may not need the same level of care at our weekly visits. To account for this, we add a few extra steps to ensure your property looks its best, even when the lawn is on hiatus. When temperatures rise, trees usually respond by shedding leaves, so we'll add the extra step of blowing leaves off your paved areas, patio or deck. Weeds can continue to grow even when our lawns take a break, so we'll trim back any weeds growing in the driveway and sidewalk cracks. While not an ordinary part of our lawn care service, these extra steps ensure your property looks its best during these periods.

Our lawn service begins and ends with seasonal growing conditions. Historically we see our start time the third week of April, and our last visit in the first week of November. This usually equates to 28-29 weeks of service; however, with changing seasonal conditions, we have seen early-springs and late-falls push that number to 30-31 weeks of service. This is one reason why our clients chose the Season Rate. Any extra visits are included for free!

We understand that some folks really enjoy having their lawn serviced on Thursday and Friday; however, to most efficiently serve our clients, our routes are ordered geographically. Your longitude and latitude is the determining factor in which day your lawn is serviced. In addition to this factor, we schedule our fertilizer applications in harmony with lawn mowing days, so that neither service interrupts the other.

Standard lawn service includes mowing, line-trimming (weed-whacking) hard to reach areas, and finishing touches with a blower to clean grass clippings from undesired areas. Any additional services, such as lawn edging, collection of sticks and trash, etc. can be requested as an additional line-item on your proposal.

Lawn edging is the process of cutting a sharp edge along your sidewalks and driveway. This process requires the use a special tool which has a spinning vertical blade. We price lawn edging separate from your lawn mowing rate because some customers do not have sidewalks and other surfaces to edge. Lawn edging is a flat monthly fee which includes edging as often as needed (in conjunction with your lawn service visit). See the picture below for an example of lawn edging.

Bagging grass clippings sounds like a premium service, but did you know that you are removing valuable fertilizer from your lawn? Studies show that when clippings are removed, the lawn needs up to 50% more fertilizer. For this reason, we use lawn mowers that are designed to recycle the clippings into your lawn, fertilizing the lawn as the clippings break-down.

You can expect your lawn to look great! Outside of extraordinary circumstances (systemic issues, overgrowth, malnutrition), your lawn mowing service will be performed in a professional manner by trained professionals. Your satisfaction is always guaranteed.

Great question. We stop working and usually catch up on our sleep.

Kidding aside, when it rains there's no need to worry. You will never lose your place in line, you might just get bumped back a day when it rains. If it rains two days, you may get bumped back two days.

There may be occasions where your lawn is moist when we arrive. For example, at some periods of our season, morning dew can linger all the way until noon. However, you can trust that our teams will only service your lawn when they are confident they can safely do so.

We make every effort to ensure lawn damage happens as little as possible, however it is an inevitable result of lawn mowing. Please notify us of any damage and we will be delighted to assess the damage and provide a quick plan to repair the area, at no cost to you.

You may call or email at least 24 hours in advance to request a skipped visit. Requests of this nature are granted at the company's discretion. For example, skipping a visit during a period of heavy growing would be counterproductive to caring for the needs of your lawn. Skipping one week can take multiple weeks to correct if the lawn becomes overgrown. Remember, we are a lawn care company! It's worth mentioning that if a skip is granted and the lawn becomes overgrown as a result, an overgrown fee may apply.

During periods of drought, our practice is to only service lawns as needed. Irreversible damage can occur to a lawn's root system during drought conditions, so as long as there are no local watering restrictions, it is highly recommended to turn up your watering frequency. If you don't have an automatic irrigation system, we suggest that you pull out the hoses from the back of the shed and set-up your sprinkler. The kids will love it! What if your lawn is too big to set-up manual sprinklers? Pray for rain.

We do not offer one-time or temporary lawn service. We maintain this standard so that our time and attention is available for our routine Clients.

When a lawn becomes overgrown, additional resources are required to maintain it. For example, the lawn can require several extra passes to mow the tall grass, resulting in added labor and fuel charges. For this reason, we charge an overgrown fee when the grass height exceeds 6" at the time of service.

Overgrown Fees are inherently temporary in nature. If you receive overgrown fees on a constant basis, that might be a sign that we should consider adjustments to your watering regimen, fertilizer program or both. On the other hand, overgrown conditions can be out of our hands when they are brought on by rapid growth as a result of heavy rains.

It is the practice of most established companies to have some sort of fee like this, although it can take a different appearance from one company to the next.

View our Fee Schedule in our Terms of Service.

Weekly mowing is highly encouraged for lawn health because the constant recycling of clippings provides continuous nourishment for your lawn. When your lawn is only mowed bi-weekly, the larger clippings do not chop/mulch as finely and therefore take longer to break down. Clippings that don't break down quickly can add to your thatch layer, slowly smothering your lawn, and perhaps costing even more in the long run! Because the grass is allowed to grow taller between visits, you may notice periods of the season when your lawn has excessive grass clumps and clippings left on the surface. This is preventable by providing your lawn weekly care. Call it self-care; after all, who gets to enjoy your beautiful, maintained lawn the most?

Historically we have found that growing conditions can vary drastically from one season to the next. For this reason, we perform weekly mowing, and then make adjustments as needed to coincide with seasonal growing conditions. This mean that if the weather becomes too hot and dry to sustain lawn growth, we will reduce your frequency until the growing resumes.

We offer a wide range of services to care for your landscape, including:

• Mulch, bed maintenance and weeding
• Spring clean-up, fall clean-up and gutter cleaning
• Lawn renovation of existing lawns
• Soil amendment and remediation
• Hourly landscape maintenance.

Many of our client's contact us after we perform seeding to ask what type of grass seed we use. So we have updated our FAQ with this truly, "frequently asked question."

Our clients ask us for the type of grass seed because they want to go out and purchase more of it to use on other areas on their property. This is truly a sign that our seed is the right choice for your lawn.

Typically, we use Scott's Contractor mix which is a high-grade, professional blend of grass seed designed to thrive in both shady and sunny conditions. We have been using this same type of grass seed for nearly a decade because of it's tried-and-true performance.

 

In some occasions, your lawn may need something more than a universal seed blend. In those situations, we may select a specific variety of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial rye, or creeping fescue, depending on the site-conditions and the needs of the client.

The results we achieve while planting grass seed are indicative of the care and attention we put into prepping the area, sowing the seeding, and follow-up care. The same can be said for the results achieved while using any grass seed: the real work is in the preparation and care!

Below are watering instructions for newly planted turfgrass. Watering is essential to ensuring the success of your newly planted lawn areas.

 

When to water?

It is best to water in the morning before the heat of the day. Watering in the evening is the second best time to water. 

1-2 times per day until your new grass is established. If we get a soaking rain that counts as watering for the entire day.

How much water?

You want the area to be thoroughly wet, with little or no run-off. If you notice run-off, this means the water is running-off your lawn instead of soaking down into it. To correct this, adjust your rate of watering to allow it to soak into the ground.

How long should I continue watering for?

You should continue watering for at least 30 days. After 30 days, you can dial back to 2-3 times per week for the remainder of the season. In periods of heat and drought, your lawn will need more water.

What should I do for continuing care?

Your new lawn, whether seed or sod, will be weed free at first. However, over time weed seeds will migrate and germinate in your lawn. Controlling pests such as weeds, grubs, and turf-feeding insects is crucial to maintaining a healthy lawn. We can help by offering a lawn program to treat these pests.

In addition to treating pests, performing core aeration is the strongest suggestion we can offer - especially for new sod. Core aeration will punch holes in the root zone, promoting roots to grow deeper. As a result, your lawn will have a deeper and denser root system, which helps your lawn during times of heat and drought.

When should you mow?

New Seeding: Wait until your new grass is 6-8" tall before the first mowing. Avoid watering for 24 hours prior to mowing in order to allow the area to dry out. After the mowing is complete, it's time to start watering again. 

Over-seeding: You can resume mowing immediately. The new seed is resting on the soil beneath your lawn and is protected by the canopy of existing turfgrass. Similar to how a lawn mower does not pick up fertilizer granules from the soil beneath your lawn, neither does it pick up grass seed.

New Sod:  Usually 4-5 weeks, but the time may vary. Wait until sod is lightly rooted (check corners with a slight tug). Use push mower until sod is firmly rooted.

We will visit your property on a set-schedule (every 2, 3 or 4 weeks) and perform bed maintenance services of your choosing. You may choose from weeding, pruning & dead-heading, and cleaning & turning mulch.

Bed Maintenance is performed at a rate of $52 per hour, per worker. Example: 2 workers for 1 hour is $104. There is a $52 minimum per visit.

Disposal fees are included with this service (up to .50 cubic yard per visit).

Next time you pull a weed from your beds: remember, we're only a call away! It's our pleasure to keep your lawn and landscape looking its best, all summer long.

Tired of seeing weeds and grass growing in your driveway and brick patio? This is the perfect solution! Round-up is a spot-spray treatment which is used on hard to kill grass and weeds. We target vegetation growing in sidewalk cracks, driveways and patios to keep your outdoors looking great!

Dandelions + Wind = Weed Seeds Galore! Weed seeds can travel by air, animal, and even on the sole of your shoe. Since weeds can pop up at any time, add this service for an extra layer of protection to keep your beds looking better, longer.

Preen is a pre-emergent application which means it targets weeds before they start, by stopping the weed seed from germinating.

Your planting beds can consume large amounts of nutrients from the soil, which if not replenished, can lead to severe issues in your plants when they need nutrients the most. It's like going to the fridge and finding you forgot to get groceries - not fun!

Adding fertilizer for your ornamental plants, trees and shrubs provides the nutrients they need to remain healthy and look their best all season long. In addition, it will buffer their resistance to insects, disease and other environmental stressors. Fertilizer is generally applied twice annually (spring and fall), but can be supplemented with additional applications if your plants are malnourished.

This service includes ornamental landscape beds and does not include large evergreen and shade trees.

Some bugs eat plants, and when they start eating, they usually don't stop. Other bugs transmit diseases which can be extremely harmful for your plants. Let Good Guys protect your ornamental trees and shrubs by targeting these insects before they strike. We'll worry about the bugs so that you worry about bigger things.

We offer weeding as part of our bed maintenance program, spring clean-up, fall clean-up and also as a standalone service. Weeding includes the removal of common weeds from your ornamental landscape beds. In thoughtful consideration, we will not remove turfgrass which has encroached upon your beds while weeding. Removing turfgrass by hand can be very time consuming and therefore rack up large amount of billable time. We would rather save you money by removing the turfgrass with machinery or by spraying it with herbicide. If you have turfgrass which has encroached your beds, please contact us and we will be glad to come up with a solution for you!

When having new mulch installed, there are preparations that should be made in order for your landscape beds to look their best. At a minimum, weeds, dead plant material and any loose debris should be removed (leaves, sticks, etc). Trimming of bushes and shrubs is also important to achieving and maintaining a manicured and well-kempt landscape.

Mulch Prep is performed at an hourly rate.

We look forward to making your beds the best on the block!

On-Site Disposal

Debris will be placed in a pile on a designated area of your property. No bagging of debris. When comparing the hourly cost to bag debris, we find it is more cost-efficient (cheaper) to select off-site disposal.

When part of an hourly service-visit, there is no additional fee for on-site disposal because it will be included in your hourly rate.

Off-Site Disposal

All debris will be hauled off-site and disposed at our local Compost Facility at a fee of $38 per cubic yard. This rate includes labor to load the debris, haul them away, and dumping fees.  What is a cubic yard?

Our spring clean-up rates are $49 per hour, per worker. Example: 2 workers for 1 hour is $98.

Our disposal fee is $38 per cubic yard. What's a cubic yard?

By charging hourly, you only pay for the work you are actually getting. If your spring clean-up takes less time than anticipated, you will only be charged for the actual time spent on your job. Of course, this also applies if your project proves to be more extensive than anticipated. We have found this is the most simple and reasonable way for a fair rate to be administered. Many of our local competitors follow the same practice.

Strange word? Yes. However, this is a commonly used measurement in the landscaping world. It refers to a size that is approximately 3-feet long, 3-feet wide and 3-feet high. A practical example is that a standard pick-up truck bed will hold approximately 2 cubic yards of material.

Spring is a busy time. There is a lot of work to complete before summer heats up. Our schedule can be very full. We ask for a deposit as a sign of your commitment before we reserve a place in our schedule for you. We will gladly refund your deposit if your needs change.

Our team will clean your lawn and landscape of leaves, sticks, and other loose debris. We will pile these debris in a selected area of your property, or we will haul them off-site and dispose of them at our paid Compost Facility (off-site disposal is an added fee).

As an alternative to bagging leaves, we use a much more efficient process where your leaves are simultaneously vacuumed, shredded, and loaded into our truck. This process is much more economical which saves you money on labor compared with manually filling leaf bags. For these reasons, we do not offer bagging of leaves.

At your request we will send a Spring Clean-up Proposal via email for you to review and "e-sign." After you complete this process, new clients will receive a confirmation email asking to activate your online account and add a payment method. Once your payment method is added, your deposit will be charged (amount listed on proposal) which will secure your place in our schedule and will be applied to your spring clean-up invoice.

Above, we explain that historically we have found that hourly is the most simple and reasonable way to perform spring clean-up work.

Below we have provided average rates based on varying lot types. These are averages, and do not reflect actual pricing for any individual lawn. These ballpark numbers do not include disposal fees.

Lot Type	Several Trees	Many Trees	Heavily Wooded
City Lot	$249-399	$349-499	449-599+
Suburb Lot	$299-499	$399-599	$499-699+
Estate Lot	$399-599	$499-699	$599-$799+
Country Lot	$499-699	$599-849	$899+

Our Leaf Clean-up rates are $49 per hour, per worker. Example: 2 men for 1 hour is $98.

Our disposal fee is $38 per cubic yard. What's a cubic yard?

By charging hourly, you only pay for the work you are actually getting. If your clean-up job takes less time than anticipated, you will only be charged for the actual time spent on your job. Of course, this also applies if your project proves to be more extensive than anticipated. We have found this is the most simple and reasonable way for a fair rate to be administered. Many of our local competitors follow the same practice.

Strange word? Yes. However, this is a commonly used measurement in the landscaping world. It refers to a size that is approximately 3-feet long, 3-feet wide and 3-feet high. A practical example is that a standard pick-up truck bed will hold approximately 2 cubic yards of material.

Fall is a busy time. There is a lot of work to complete before the weather turns. Our schedule can be very full. We ask for a deposit as a sign of your commitment before we reserve a place in our schedule for you. Fall clean-up deposits are non-refundable.

Leaf Clean-up - Our leaf teams will clean your lawn and landscape of leaves, sticks, and other loose debris. We will pile these debris in a selected area of your property or we will haul them off-site and dispose of them at our paid Compost Facility (off-site disposal is an added fee).

Our Leaf Clean-up proposal includes Add-On services which are explained below.

Seasonal Pruning - this includes dead-heading spent blooms, removing dead plant material and light trimming of bushes and shrubs to prepare them for spring. Our leaf teams are not equipped for heavy pruning so overgrown bushes and shrubs will not be pruned and will require the client to contact us to schedule a separate visit from our landscape team.

Gutter Cleaning - If you select gutter cleaning you can expect that loose debris will be removed from your gutters to keep them clear and functioning. We do not scrub and polish to get the gutters squeaky clean as this is not necessary to keep the gutters operating properly and is not something we include with this service. This service is exactly what your gutters need to stay happy and healthy.

Chore List - Got a list? We'll tackle it. We are glad to handle any task, big or small. Some common fall chores we handle: put away hoses, bring in the grill, dump out planters, etc. When Chore List is selected, please send us your list of chores at the time of accepting proposal.

As an alternative to bagging leaves, we use a much more efficient process where your leaves are simultaneously vacuumed, shredded, and loaded into our truck. This process is much more economical which saves you money on labor compared with manually filling leaf bags. For these reasons, we do not offer bagging of leaves.

At your request we will send a Leaf Clean-up Proposal via email for you to review and "e-sign." After you complete this process, new clients will receive a confirmation email asking to activate your online account and add a payment method. Once your payment method is added, your deposit will be charged (amount listed on proposal) which will secure your place in our schedule and will be applied to your Leaf Clean-up invoice.

Above, we explain that historically we have found that hourly is the most simple and reasonable way to perform Leaf Cean-up work.

Below we have provided average rates based on varying lot types. These are averages, and do not reflect actual pricing for any individual lawn. These ballpark numbers do not include disposal fees.

Lot Type	Several Trees	Many Trees	Heavily Wooded
City Lot	$200-350	$300-450	$400-550+
Suburb Lot	$250-400	$350-500	$450-600+
Estate Lot	$350-500	$450-600	$600-$750+
Country Lot	$450-600	$500-750	$800+

If you selected off-site disposal, your leaves will get picked up within 24 hours of performing your service. The reason for the time-gap is that we have a separate team that operates our vacuum trucks, which are specialized trucks that vacuum your leaves up. Check it out in our video below!

 

Compost is pure, organic material in soil form. It looks similar to top-soil, but can be identified by its rich, dark color. It's chock full of nutrients and organic matter, which all plants love!

Top-dressing a lawn is the process of adding a thin layer (0.25-0.50 inches) of compost over the lawn. This process helps restore the nutrients in your lawn without the help of traditional fertilizers. Additionally, you can combine this process with aeration to help deliver the compost directly into your soil. This added process helps bolster your soil's organic matter content - which, if deficient, may require cumulative treatments to correct.

The process of top-dressing is beneficial for lawns which fall into any of the following categories:

• Customers who prefer alternatives to traditional fertilizers
• Sandy sub-terrain with low organic matter content
• Clay sub-terrain with low organic matter content

Yes! We've found a way to safely and effectively remove poison ivy to help keep you, your friends and family safe while enjoying your lawn and landscape.

Poison ivy is a hazardous plant that can cause extreme injury and even death in rare instances. For this reason, the removal of poison ivy involves the use of protective suits and gloves which must be discarded after use. The poison ivy is removed by hand with the help of small hand tools. Tools that make contact with the plant must be quarantined and then thoroughly cleaned at a later time. These safe-handling practices ensure that our employees are protected from exposure during and after the removal process.

All of these precautions allow us to safely and effectively remove poison ivy, creating a safer lawn and landscape for your friends and family to enjoy.

We offer residential and commercial snow removal. Our dedicated residential teams do not have any commercial commitments, meaning that our commercial work does not take priority over our residential customers. This is a valid concern when signing up with a company that has mixed commitments among its teams.

We have the staff, equipment and resources to handle any snow removal account in the Ann Arbor area.

Our season rate is unparalleled in our industry and includes more than just snow removal. Here's a glimpse of what you can expect from our Season Rate snow removal:

• Unlimited visits to clear snow from your property.
• Ice storm coverage with free salting in the event of an ice storm.
• Free return visits if the city plow-truck plows in your driveway or sidewalk crosswalks.
• Free visit to install orange driveway markers.
• Free visit to remove driveway markers, assess the lawn for any damage, and make necessary lawn repairs.
• 24/7 weather updates during a snow storm.

This is a valid concern since other companies may offer a "season price" but after a set number of visits you'll get a surprise bill for the overages.

Good Guys offers a truly all-inclusive season rate with no surprise bills. It sounds too good to be true, so let us reiterate that this is an all-inclusive plan. You are covered for all snow removal within our terms of service. If we get one snow or one-hundred snows, you are covered. It's no wonder many of our clients chose this option.

All residential clients are given the same level of importance. Geographic location is the only determining factor we use in route placement (i.e. order of clients).

If you need a higher level of care at your property, such as a guaranteed arrival time, you may consider commercial service. Commercial service is performed by separate teams who work around-the-clock during a snow storm to keep properties clean. You can expect to pay up to 3 times as much as residential service for this level of care and attention.

The simple answer is that it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Questions 2 and 3 above lay out the ground work for how Good Guys is different and superior to the season rates offered by most other companies.

Finding a snow removal company is tough; we hear it all the time from our new callers. We look forward to earning your trust and becoming the last snow removal company you'll ever need to hire.

Tiered pricing does not apply to Season Rates, which are all-inclusive.

Tiered pricing does not apply to Season Rates. A 12-inch snowfall requires more time and resources to complete than a 3-inch snowfall, in fact it can require 2-3 times as many resources to plow a storm over 12 inches. For this reason, we offer a tiered price structure to account for snowfall depths. This is an industry standard; however, it does not apply to Season Rates which are all-inclusive.

Tier	Snow Depth	Price
Tier 1	1-4"	Per Visit Price
Tier 2	4-8"	1.5 x Per Visit Price
Tier 3	8-12"	2 x Per Visit Price
Tier 4	12-15"	2.5 x Per Visit Price
Tier 5	15-18"	3 x Per Visit Price
Tier 6	18-21"	3.5 x Per Visit Price, etc.

Tiered pricing does not apply to Season Rates, which are all-inclusive.

Our practice is to begin plowing residential routes when the snowfall ends. This makes for the best use of resources and provides you with the most efficient service. For higher accumulations ("snowmageddons"), we may plow with the storm, which means that you could receive multiple visits as we work to keep the accumulating snow from reaching a height that could block you in.

Please review your sign-up form for the specifics of your service. In most cases public sidewalks and one front walk are included with your driveway.

Our trigger is 1 inch. This means that at least 1 inch of snow must accumulate for us to service your property.

We would love to accommodate everyone's specific needs for snow removal. However, our operating procedures have been shaped by Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti's Snow Removal Ordinances, which state that any snow accumulating over 1-inch must be removed from public sidewalks. Because the most of our clients reside in these areas, it only makes sense for us to adapt to the needs of the majority of our clientele.

We've seen it snow in November and we've seen it snow in April, so any time between these months is usually fair game! There was a year when we didn't get our first snow until mid-January and even with the late start it turned into one of our busiest winters.

Non-Clients: We do NOT offer one-time service. You may sign up for ongoing service or a vacation plan. This practice helps ensure that all of our resources, care, and attention is focused on our clients.

Clients: You may request additional visits at any time. However, you should not find the need to call often because our snow removal routes are automated. We plow all clients every time our trigger is met. Residential clients have a trigger of 1".

Non-urgent revisits are commonly performed the day after the snow storm.

Please use our weather update hotline to check on the progress of a snow storm. For real-time snow removal updates, call 734-470-4070, option 1. Please note that our weather update hotline is only in operation during snow storms.

Our timing depends on how quickly snowfall is accumulating and when the snowfall ends. This means we may arrive at your house at any time of day or night. Don't worry, we will try our best to be quiet when we come overnight, however please remember that the nature of our work is an emergency service; we need to make sure that you can get out of your drive when you need to.

We typically start plowing when the snowfall ends and we need 8 hours to complete our routes for a normal snowfall. Because we can't predict when the snowfall will end, we cannot guarantee a specific time that your snow removal will be completed. For example, if it stops snowing at midnight, then you can expect your drive to be cleared by 8 AM; however, if it stops snowing at 8 AM, then you can expect your drive to be cleared by 4 PM. It truly is up to "Mother Nature!"

It's worth mentioning that the 8-hour rule only applies to mild snowfalls. Moderate to heavy snow accumulation can take 2-3 times as long. For example, a 12" snowfall can take 20 hours for us to service all clients. Keep in mind that a 12" snowfall usually means schools are closed, the city has declared a snow emergency, and the road in front of your house may not get plowed for 1-2 days. Thankfully, most of our snowfalls average 2-4" and are quickly taken care of by our committed team of staff.

If there is a car or any obstruction in your driveway that prevents us from clearing the entire drive, we will do our best to work around it but we may not be able to clear all of the snow around the car. You may request a return visit once the car has been moved. Non-urgent, return visits of this nature are commonly preformed the day after the snow storm.

Salt is available as an option. We apply salt after clearing the snow from your property. Salt melts through snow and ice, keeping your property clear and dry from additional moisture or precipitation which could freeze and potentially create slick spots. The benefits of salt can often outweigh any concerns that you may have of using it. We can help you weigh the options and determine if salt is the right choice for you.

We offer vacation service as a specialty service available to residents of the Ann Arbor Area. This service guarantees that while you are out of town, you will not receive any fines for violating the local snow removal ordinance. Yes, we guarantee it! If you should receive a fine during the time you are registered with us, we will pay the fine for you. Prices are per week, with the first week starting at $199, prepaid and non-refundable. What if it does not snow while you are traveling? This is a possibility, of course. Our Vacation Service should be considered an "insurance policy." The last thing you need after returning from a restful vacation is a fine posted on your front door; or worse, discovering that someone has injured themselves on your property. Good Guys is your source for peace of mind while traveling this winter.

We have the perfect solution: our snow removal hotline. Call anytime, day or night! For real-time snow removal updates, call 734-470-4070, option 1. Please note that our snow removal hotline is only in operation during snow storms.

Ice storms can quickly create ice build-up on your property. For the safety of you and pedestrians, we treat any ice storm as a snow storm and mobilize our fleet to help keep your property safe. Our snow removal equipment is not effective with ice, so we use salt, as needed, to treat susceptible areas of your property. You may not have salt included in your snow removal program, but during ice storms we include it as a functional snow removal visit and charge it as such. This visit is provided at no extra cost to our season-rate customers.

What if you don't want salt?

You can rest assured that we will always communicate with you before performing a service that you may not be expecting. We do this in the form of an opt-out email. You'll get an email in advance of our visit and have an opportunity to quickly opt-out with 1-click.

Considering Pay As You Go pricing?  Here's what you need to know.

While we encourage our clients to consider the exceptional value provided with our Pre-paid pricing, we do offer Pay As You Go pricing for lawn service and fertilizer programs. The chart below highlights the differences between the two pricing styles.

		Pay As You Go		Pre-Paid
Discount		No		20%
Fuel Surcharge		Yes		No
Overgrown Fee		Yes		No
Deposit		Yes		No
Billing Frequency		Weekly		One Time

20% Pre-Pay Discount
This discount is exclusively available for the following prepaid services: Weekly Lawn Service, Lawn Edging, and Fertilizer and Weed Control Packages. Other lawn care services which are selected alongside these will still appear on your pre-pay invoice and be exempt from the fuel surcharge.

Fuel Surcharge
This modest surcharge helps cover the added expense of higher fuel prices. Fuel prices fluctuate for a number of reasons and this fee applies when the price is above three dollars per gallon. The fee schedule can be viewed in our terms of service. Pre-paid services are exempt.

Overgrown Fee
When a lawn becomes overgrown, additional resources are required to maintain it. For example, the lawn can require several extra passes to mow the tall grass, resulting in added labor and fuel. For this reason, we charge an overgrown fee when the grass height exceeds 6-inches at the time of service. The fee schedule can be viewed in our terms of service. Pre-paid services are exempt.

Deposit
With Pay As You Go, we require a deposit equal to one visit per service. This deposit is held and applied to the last visit of the season. If your payment method is declined, your deposit is applied and your service will be paused. To resume service, you'll be required to update your payment method and submit a replacement deposit. Pre-paid services are exempt.

Billing Frequency
Pay As You Go services are billed weekly, for all services provided the previous week. Your payment method on file will be automatically charged at the start of the week and your completed invoices can be viewed in the customer portal; we don't email invoices for Pay As You Go services.

In Conclusion

The majority of our clients take advantage of the exceptional value found with our pre-pay pricing. However, if you prefer to use our Pay As You Go Pricing, we want to be transparent about how it works. Regardless of which you choose, you will find the same high-quality of service that Good Guys is known for. 

1. Open your estimate email and click the link to view your proposal.

2. Make your desired selections and e-sign proposal.

3. Look for your confirmation email. Click the link to log-on to your online account.

4. Log-on and add a payment method

5. Your sign-up process is now complete!

6. The next step is scheduling, which is explained in the next question: "How quickly can I begin service."

Once your sign-up process is complete, we will work on scheduling your service(s). We will provide a scheduling update via email within 24 hours of your sign-up completion.

We can typically begin new service within the times list below. Wait times are subject to change and are not guaranteed at any time.

Service	Wait Time
Lawn Service	Next rotation of your geographic route (within 1-7 days)
Snow Removal	The next snow storm
Fertilizer Application	Within 7 days
Core Aeration	Next round of service (performed in spring and fall)
Plant Care (trimming)	1-2 weeks depending on current schedule
Bed Care (mulch, weeding, etc.)	1-3 weeks depending on current schedule
Landscaping Project	Typically 6-8 week turnaround from design to project commencement, but can vary due to demand.

We require a credit card on your account because our company processes payments automatically for recurring services. This means that at the end of each month your payment method will be charged and you will be emailed an invoice that is marked as paid. As an added convenience, you may log-in to your account at any time to view payment history and past invoices.

Our company's payment process has a proven track record or reliability, efficiency, and ease-of-use.

Your information is 100% safe. We are certified PCI compliant, which means that we adhere to industry leading security standards. Your privacy and security are very important to us and we are constantly auditing our practices to stay ahead of the changing times.

We understand that the idea of security and privacy may vary from one individual to the next. Even though we acknowledge this fact, we are not able to offer any alternatives to our payment processing method at this time.

Just click here: Terms of Service